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Granite City Man Accused of Extortion, Murder Plot

EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. (KMOX) — A Granite City man who attenpted to extort money from a wealthy man then kill him later in a way that would look like an accident has been arraigned in federal district court in East St. Louis.

The charges were alleged in a Criminal Complaint filed on January 24, 2012.

The Complaint alleges that on January 9, 2012, Brett L. Nash, 45, tried to recruit an acquaintance’s help to carry out an extortion scheme aimed at obtaining money. The acquaintance reported the scheme to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and remained in contact with Nash in an undercover capacity.

Over the course of the next two weeks Nash had multiple meetings with the undercover acquaintance for the specific purpose of planning out the extortion scheme. Nash’s plan focused on the seizure of the targeted individual and the use of threats and force to get the man to withdraw large amounts of money from his personal bank account and from a safe in the individual’s home.

Nash planned on splitting the proceeds of the extortion with his undercover acquaintance.

It is further alleged that Nash gathered many of the items needed for the operation including a head covering mask, a set of handcuffs and a CO2 Gun.

It is alleged that on January 23, 2012, the date of Nash’s arrest, he and his undercover acquaintance made a dry run to the man’s house to scout the location, for the planned operation. The Complaint alleges that Nash had planned to execute his scheme later on that very evening.

The Criminal Complaint charges Nash with attempted extortion, by use of threats of violence, under the Hobbs Act. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release.